I don’t get angry easily
although I used to when I was a kid. Then
my issues were my insistence upon having my own way, my conviction that I was
always right, and my competitive juices often spilled out on the basketball
court. I had an easily-aroused temper
growing up.
Now that I am “grown up”,
I would like to report that I never get angry.
Wrong.
Several times the Bible
speaks of being angry, while not sinning (See Psalm 4:3,4; Ephesians 4:25-32). It is most often how we react in our anger that
displeases God. For me I have that the
difference between reacting and responding is TIME, and taking a deep breath
and waiting helps me not act out in anger.
Still, I get angry.
I get angry at injustice, when
people are wrongfully mistreated.
I get angry at abuse, when
someone’s value is disregarded either verbally or physically.
That all sounds a little
self-righteous, so I confess…
I get angry when I am ignored
or disrespected.
I get angry when I don’t get
my way…if it’s something I feel strongly about and have a sense of being right.
I get angry at myself,
most often when I harbor feelings of bitterness and resentment.
I have even had moments
when I was angry at God. Maybe I couldn’t
understand why things were happening the way they were, or why someone was
suffering, or why I was not being appreciated for all my hard work.
As if God were to blame.
Feelings of anger may
never disappear. How we manage them and
respond—instead of reacting—will be a sign
that we are “growing up” in Him. Yes,
there is hope for us in Christ when we submit to His discipline and love.
